Tropical Cyclone Naming

1. Historical Background

The practice of naming storms (tropical cyclones) began years ago in order to help in the quick identification of storms in warning messages because names are presumed to be far easier to remember than numbers and technical terms. Many agree that appending names to storms makes it easier for the media to report on tropical cyclones, heightens interest in warnings and increases community preparedness.

Experience shows that the use of short, distinctive given names in written as well as spoken communications is quicker and less subject to error than the older more cumbersome latitude-longitude identification methods. These advantages are especially important in exchanging detailed storm information between hundreds of widely scattered stations, coastal bases, and ships at sea.

In the beginning, storms were named arbitrarily. An Atlantic storm that ripped off the mast of a boat named Antje became known as Antje's hurricane. Then the mid-1900's saw the start of the practice of using feminine names for storms.

In the pursuit of a more organized and efficient naming system, meteorologists later decided to identify storms using names from a list arranged alpabetically. Thus, a storm with a name which begins with A, like Anne, would be the first storm to occur in the year. Before the end of the 1900's, forecasters started using male names for those forming in the Southern Hemisphere.

Since 1953, Atlantic tropical storms have been named from lists originated by the National Hurricane Center. They are now maintained and updated by an international committee of the World Meteorological Organization. The original name lists featured only women's names. In 1979, men's names were introduced and they alternate with the women's names. Six lists are used in rotation. Thus, the 2008 list will be used again in 2014.

The only time that there is a change in the list is if a storm is so deadly or costly that the future use of its name on a different storm would be inappropriate for reasons of sensitivity. If that occurs, then at an annual meeting by the WMO Tropical Cyclone Committees (called primarily to discuss many other issues) the offending name is stricken from the list and another name is selected to replace it. Infamous storm names such as Katrina (USA, 2005), Mitch (Honduras, 1998) and Tracy (Darwin, 1974) are examples for this.

2. Procedure of Naming Tropical Cyclones

There is a strict procedure to determine a list of tropical cyclone names in an ocean basin(s) by the Tropical Cyclone Regional Body responsible for that basin(s) at its annual/biennial meeting. There are five tropical cyclone regional bodies, i.e. ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee, WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones, RA I Tropical Cyclone Committee, RA IV Hurricane Committee, and RA V Tropical Cyclone Committee. For instance, Hurricane Committee determines a pre-designated list of hurricane names for six years separately at its annual session. The pre-designated list of hurricane names are proposed by its members that include National Meteorological and Hydrological Services in the North/Central America and the Caribbean. Naming procedures in other regions are almost the same as in the Caribbean. In general, tropical cyclones are named according to the rules at a regional level.

It is important to note that tropical cyclones/hurricanes are named neither after any particular person, nor with any preference in alphabetical sequence. The tropical cyclone/hurricane names selected are those that are familiar to the people in each region. Obviously, the main purpose of naming a tropical cyclone/hurricane is basically for people easily to understand and remember the tropical cyclone/hurricane in a region, thus to facilitate tropical cyclone/hurricane disaster risk awareness, preparedness, management and reduction.

RSMC Tokyo – Typhoon Center will assign a tropical cyclone a name from the list followed by a 4-digit identification number (in brackets). Names on the list will only be given to tropical cyclones of tropical storm strength or above.These names are used sequentially. That is, if the last storm of the year is Cimaron, the first storm of the next year is Jebi.___________________________________________________________________

Note: The single list of names that are used by all of the Bureau of Meteorology Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres (TCWC) was introduced for the start of the 2008/09 season, replacing the three lists that existed previously. First name used for the 2008/2009 season is Anika, then Billy, etc.

The name of a new tropical cyclone is usually selected from this list of names. If a named cyclone moves into the Australian region from another country's zone of responsibility, the name assigned by that other country will be retained. The names are normally chosen in sequence, when the list is exhausted, we return to the start of the list.

Lists A, B, C, and D are used sequentially one after the other. The first name in any given year is the one immediately following the last name from the previous year. List E is a list of replacement names if they become necessary. Wellington TCWC will name the cyclone, in consultation with RSMC Nadi, by using the next
name from RSMC Nadi's list, if a tropical cyclone in the Wellington TCWC's area of
responsibility, Wellington.____________________________________________________________________

Port Moresby TCWC's Area of Responsibility

List A

List B
(Standby)

Alu
Buri
Dodo
Emau
Fere
Hibu
Ila
Kama
Lobu
Maila

Nou
Obaha
Paia
Ranu
Sabi
Tau
Ume
Vali
Wau
Auram

Lists A and B are used sequentially one after the other. The first name in any given year is the one immediately following the last name from the previous year.___________________________________________________________________

Jakarta TCWc's Area of Responsibility

The name of a new tropical cyclone is determined by sequential cycling through List A. Standby List B is used to replace retired names in List A and any replacement will be added to the bottom of List A to maintain the alphabetical order. ___________________________________________________________________

Northern Indian Ocean Names (as of 2014)

Contributors

List 1

List 2

List 3

List 4

Bangladesh
India
Maldives
Mayanmar
Oman
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
Thailand

Onil
Agni
Hibaru
Pyarr
Baaz
Fanoos
Mala
Mukda

Ogni
Akash
Gonu
Yemyin
Sidr
Nargis
Rashmi
Khai Muk

Nisha
Bijli
Aila
Phyan
Ward
Laila
Bandu
Phet

Giri
Jal
Keila
Thane
Murjan
Nilam
Viyaru
Phailin

Contributors

List 5

List 6

List 7

List 8

Bangladesh
India
Maldives
Mayanmar
Oman
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
Thailand

Helen
Lehar
Madi
Nanauk
Hudhud
Nilofar
Ashobaa
Komen

Chapala
Megh
Roanu
Kyant
Nada
Vardah
Maarutha
Mora

Ockhi
Sagar
Mekunu
Daye
Luban
Titli
Gaja
Phethai

Fani
Vayu
Hikaa
Kyarr
Maha
Bulbul
Pawan
Amphan

The RSMC tropical
cyclones New Delhi will give a tropical cyclone an identification name from the above name list.
The identification system covers both the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.___________________________________________________________________

Southwest Indian Ocean Names

CYCLONE SEASON 2016/2017

Names

Provided by

ABELA

BRANSBY

CARLOS

DINEO

ENAWO

FERNANDO

GABEKILE

HEROLD

IRONDRO

JERUTO

KUNDAI

LISEBO

MICHEL

NOUSRA

OLIVIER

POKERA

QUINCY

REBAONE

SALAMA

TRISTAN

URSULA

VIOLET

WILSON

XILA

YEKELA

ZAINA

Tanzania

South Africa

Mauritius

Botswana

Malawi

Mozambique

Swaziland

Seychelles

Madagascar

Kenya

Zimbabwe

Lesotho

France

Comoros

Mauritius

Malawi

Seychelles

Botswana

Comoros

France

Kenya

South Africa

Mozambique

Madagascar

Swaziland

Tanzania

CYCLONE SEASON 2017/2018

Names

Provided by

AVA

BERGUITTA

CEBILE

DUMAZILE

ELIAKIM

FAKIR

GUAMBE

HABANA

IMAN

JOBO

KANGA

LUDZI

MELINA

NATHAN

ONIAS

PELAGIE

QUAMAR

RITA

SOLANI

TARIK

URILIA

VUYANE

WAGNER

XUSA

YARONA

ZACARIAS

Madagascar

Seychelles

Zimbabwe

Swaziland

Kenya

Comoros

Mozambique

Botswana

Mauritius

Lesotho

South Africa

Malawi

Tanzania

France

Zimbabwe

Madagascar

Comoros

Seychelles

Swaziland

Mauritius

South Africa

Lesotho

Kenya

Malawi

Botswana

Mozambique

CYCLONE SEASON
2018/2019

Names

Provided by

ALCIDE

BOUCHRA

CILIDA

DESMOND

EKETSANG

FUNANI

GELENA

HALEH

IDAI

JOANINHA

KENNETH

LORNA

MAIPELO

NJAZI

OSCAR

PAMELA

QUENTIN

RAJAB

SAVANA

THEMBA

UYAPO

VIVIANE

WALTER

XANGY

YEMURAI

ZANELE

France

Comoros

Madagascar

South Africa

Lesotho

Swaziland

Tanzania

Mauritius

Zimbabwe

Mozambique

Seychelles

Kenya

Botswana

Malawi

France

Tanzania

Kenya

Comoros

Mozambique

Swaziland

Botswana

Mauritius

South Africa

Madagascar

Zimbabwe

Lesotho

These lists are used sequentially, and they are not rotated every few years as are the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific lists. ___________________________________________________________________